Random Acts of Kindness Day: Consistency is Better.

To succeed in the ‘war for talent,’ companies must build a strong employer brand. But what really is that? You may wonder.

Your employer brand is how well your actions align with your promise.

Where your EVP defines what you are offering employees, your employer brand brings that to life through how you show up.

But over the course of 2024, we’ve seen employees becoming increasingly sceptical about employers. And for good reason too.

Companies have been championing their EVP, but without action. Making promises in employee-markets, only to break them when the power changes.

So, employees have started doing their homework.

According to glass door, 77% of employees consider a company’s culture before applying for a job, and 63% of UK employees say culture is a main reason they stay in their job.

Moreover, 56% say company culture matters more than salary.

Although you might expect fresh optimism from Gen Z’ers, research reveals quite the opposite. Gen Z trust employers even less than previous generations, and do not believe companies will support them in the long-term.

So, on this Random Acts of Kindness Day, I’d actually quite like to ditch the ‘random’ acts…

It’s time to treat people well, consistently.

What employees actually care about has changed. It’s less about the pay check and more about:

• Doing work that matters.
• Having a life outside work.
• Growing their personal and professional skills.

Given that social media plays a key role in attracting Gen Z talent, we’ll probably see a wave of ‘random acts of kindness’ posts today.

A free coffee, holding a door open, a pizza lunch. All nice gestures, no doubt. But will they make people want to join your team and, more importantly, stay for the long haul? Unlikely.

Instead (or as well as) a random act of kindness today, we can remind ourselves of what a genuinely kind workplace is, and think about how we can achieve this.

Kindness fuels engagement, trust, and collaboration, all of which directly impact your company’s success and your employer brand.

And beyond internal benefits, kindness strengthens external relationships too.

Partners, clients, employees, and others, are far more likely to engage with a company that operates with authenticity.

So, what does a genuinely kind workplace look like?

Being built on shared purpose and trust, a genuinely kind workplace has these things:

• An EVP grounded in action, not just words. Employees need to see that their company’s purpose aligns with the decisions made at the highest levels. For example, EY Lane4 found that while 86% of employees acknowledge their organisation has a “purpose statement,” 71% believe their leaders make critical decisions based solely on financial considerations.
• Diversity. And everyone is valued for who they are, and not just for what they do. Employees feel they can show up as their authentic selves.
• Leaders are approachable, empathetic, and actively engage with employees at all levels. Scrap the occasional “open door” policy.
• Employees and Employers seek out and act on feedback, whether that’s a praise or critique. Every voice is valued and has an impact on shaping the workplace.
• Individual and team contributions are recognised daily. Appreciation is not reserved for special occasions.

At the Team, we can help you define your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). And we can help you identify how to bring that to life.

A consistent, genuinely kind workplace will improve your employer brand, not just the random acts.